Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Eleven-year-old Eleanor, her ten-year-old cousins-adopted siblings Andrew and Glendella, and their friend eleven-year-old Velma Trent were discussing a book about people following their dreams, and what they thought about the idea.
“I thhink my problem with it is, well, nobody in the whole Bible and literature older than Papa talks like this,” Andrew said. “I mean, the Bible doesn't cover every situation, like, whether we should get popcorn to discuss this, but it seems that most people in the world that got stuff done up until like 1980 just didn't talk like this. I mean, there's dreams, and then there are folks who are shown stuff, day or night, but people used to be able to tell the difference.”
“Right – people are shown stuff, like people hear music nobody has ever heard, and people write stuff nobody has ever read,” Velma said. “But I sit up and eat popcorn after forgetting I can't really do that with beef ribs and have all kinds of dreams and nightmares.”
“Yeah, there's that part,” Eleanor said, “but I think the point is that there's all this stuff the people of the world expect us to do, and then there's all the stuff we see on the inside of us that we have to call dreams and daydreams so people don't tell us we're wasting our time and get to some work.”
Glendella considered this.
“OK,” she said, “if it's just terms we are using – synonyms and stuff – I don't think we need to worry about that so much. I think we need to figure out what to do with what we see on the inside of us, and where it is coming from, because some people are living a nightmare and thinking they are living the dream, because I still don't know why my biological grandfather called over here trying to threaten Upgrade Papa's business.”
“I'm trying to figure out if he had beef ribs with popcorn the night before,” Velma said.
“Wait a minute,” Glendella said. “I remember what we ate that night – it was Beef Wellington and creamed corn!”
Velma, Eleanor, and Andrew threw up their hands.
“See – and this is why!” Andrew said. “I knew this whole concept was a crock – a crock of beef ribs and popcorn – I knew it! Don't just follow your dreams! Figure out if you are trying to digest stuff that shouldn't be digested together first!”
Meanwhile, because they were all on the Trent porch, Sgt. Vincent Trent was holding up his wife Mrs. Melissa Trent and trying not to fall out laughing while keeping her from falling out laughing.
“That went left so fast it's in orbit,” Mr. Thomas Stepforth, Mrs.Trent's father, said as he chuckled.
“Yep – we definitely have liftoff on that one,” Mrs. Velma Stepforth said, Mrs. Trent's mother, said. “But they all have some good points.”
“I wasn't ready for the crock of beef ribs and popcorn!” Mrs. Trent said. “I also didn't know that food combo was giving Velma trouble, so this is good to know.”
“I'll make a note for when I next barbecue,” Sgt. Trent said, “which is tomorrow, actually.”
“Right on – I'll make Velma some crunchy kale, and also enough for our neighbors Amanda and George, because no vegetarian should have to go through life without experiencing that,” Mrs. Trent said.
“Listen: more of us will consider becoming vegetarian if you make enough of that,” Mr. Stepforth said. “I am not a big eater of greens, but I can eat that with the sea salt for days.”
“Thanks, Dad!” Mrs. Trent said.
“Absolutely make enough – some of Vanna's popcorn seasoning blends might be good too – hey, Vanna, let's discuss this!” Sgt. Trent said as he went off to find his eldest daughter.
That left the Stepforths alone, and Mr. Stepforth sighed.
“I wish I had known at Vincent's age what Vincent knows about Vanna, and how to encourage her dream in a way that lets her know she has options on how to fulfill it – it may not be popcorn, but it could be a dual purpose seasoning or crunchy kale with her blends. I wish I had known at his age how to encourage Melissa, but I'm watching, and learning.”
“It takes a humble man to admit all that,” Mrs. Stepforth said as she embraced him, “and the best thing is, it's not too late. You do know you are now going to have to eat crunchy kale for days, though.”
“Yes, but also, no, because my grandson Tom and our next door neighbor Lil' Robert Ludlow, also known as the human vacuum cleaners, exist,” he said.
Mrs. Stepforth laughed.
“Yeah, Tom is starting another growth spurt, and Lil' Robert is always getting ready for his first one,” she said. “You could have a single conversation with them and put that kale in a bowl, and they would wipe that out!”